Apparatus for applying a wrapper leaf on a cigar bunch



De 8, 9 H. J. MAAS ETAL APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A WRAPPER LEAF ON A CIGARBUNCH 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 25, 1963 INVENTORS MARTEN GEERTAALPOEL HENRICUS JQHANNES MAAS W. M4 4 h ATTORNEYS Dec. 8, 1964 FiledFeb. 25, 1963 H. J. MAAS ETAL 3,160, 160

APPARATUS .FOR APPLYING A WRAPPER LEAF ON A CIGAR BUNCH 4 Sheets-Sheet 2ATTORNEYS Dec. 8, 1964 H. J. MAAS ETAL APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A WRAPPERLEAF ON A CIGAR BUNCH 4 Sheets$heet 3 Filed Feb. 25, 1963 FIGS INVENTORSMARTEN GEERT AALPOEL HENRICUS JOHANNES MAAS ATTORNEYS Dec. 8, 1964 H. J.MAAS ETAL 3,160,160

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A WRAPPER LEAF ON A CIGAR BUNCH Filed Feb. 25,1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS MARTEN GEERT AALPOEL HENRICUS JOHANNESMAAS 9W0; d ATTORNEYS United States Patent 5 4 (liairns. 6C1. 131-49 Theinvention relates to an apparatus for wrapping up a bunch for a cigarhaving at least one closed or substantially closed spherical or conicalend portion in a wrapper leaf of predetermined shape and adapted to bewound in one cycle of operation from the transition zone between thespherical or conical end portion of the bunch and the body of the bunchtowards the end of said end portion and toward the other end of thebunch, to which purpose the apparatus comprises a rolling mechanismwhich consists of a number of rotatable rollers enclosing a rollings-ace and is connected to a support mounted for movement during therolling process in a direction transverse to the axis of the rollingspace and a movable leaf holder, by means of which the wrapper leaf isheld with its leading-in flap in the right position relative to the pathof the rolling mechanism and is guided, after said leading-in flap hasbeen inserted into the rolling mechanism.

An apparatus called wrapping apparatus, of this kind is known per se. Inthis known Wrapping apparatus, which is particularly adapted to themanufacture of so-called Bolknak-cigars, the wrapper leaf is laid by aconveyor carrying a first leaf-holder onto a table operating as secondleaf holder and having a stationary part and a movable turn table andthe rolling mechanism is moved over said table. Therein the hunch isplaced from below into the rolling space at one end of the active strokeof the rolling mechanism and the manufactured cigar is removed from therolling space on the lower'side of the rolling mechanism at the otherend of said stroke. Owing to the use of two leaf-holders, of which thesecond is composed of two individual parts, the known wrapping apparatusis involved and it can only work with relatively low speed. Moreover,the chance of stagnation in said apparatus, for instance due to the factthat the wrapper leaf is not delivered by the first leaf holder in theright manner to the composite table, is rather great, so that thepercentage of waste is also relatively large.

The invention has for its object to simplify such a wrapping apparatusconsiderably and to give it such a construction that it can operatefaultlessly with high speed. The invention includes a rolling mechanismthat can be opened on the upper side to permit a bunch to be placed intoand a cigar to be removed from the rolling space, andwhich cooperatesduring the rolling process with movable guide members connected also tosaid support and adapted to keep the wrapper leaf tight when it isdrawn, during the rolling process, into the rolling mechanism, saidguide members having the shape of a guide plate and at least onerotatable guide roller connected with and aligning with its activecircumferential surface the active surface of said plate, and furthercharacterized in that the leaf holder is movably connected to a conveyormounted for moving said leaf holder between a position, in which a leafcan be taken up, and a position above the path of the rolling mechanismand cooperates with means for successively delivering the leading-inflap of the wrapper leaf taken up by the leaf holder into the rollingmechanism and other portions of the wrapper leaf onto said guide rollerand said guide plate and the guide roller the rolling mechanism areknown per se.

is mounted in the vicinity of the part of the rolling space meant forthe said spherical or conical end portion of the bunch and serves tokeep the portion of the wrapper leaf to be wound round said end portionof the bunch tight. In this apparatus the second leaf holder formed as astationary table and a turn table cooperating therewith is dispensedwith, so that a single arm mounted for swinging about a vertical axisand carrying aleaf holder which,

as in the known wrapping apparatus, is mounted for swinging about avertical axis on said arm can be used. During the rolling process theconveyor of the leaf holder can be kept stationary and the leaf holderhas only to be swung through a small angle, e.g. an angle smaller than45 Due to these simple movements of the rolling mechanism and the leafholder the wrapping apparatus can be driven with high speed.

It is observed that wrapping apparatus provided with a rolling mechanismadapted to be opened on its upper side and a conveyor carrying a leafholder adapted to transport a wrapper leaf directly from a die or stackof leaves to In these Wrapping apparatuses the rolling mechanism isstationary and the leaf holder is moved during the rolling process alonga very complicated path over the rolling mechanism. For wrapping up abunch for a cigar having a closed or substantially closed spherical orconical fire-end portion the leaf holder must, after the leading-in endof the flag of the wrapper leaf for covering said fire-end has beeninserted into the rolling mechanism by a needle or has been blowntherein, first be swung through an angle of nearly 180 about the centreof said flag and thereafter be moved over the rolling mechanismsubstantially parallel to itself at an angle with the axis of therolling space. This involved movement of the leaf holder requires, forthe leaf-holder, a conveyor consisting of interlinked parts andcomplicated guide members. Moreover, said movement can only be performedwith relatively low speed so that the capacity of said wrappingapparatus is small.

It is further stated that guide members formed as a plate and a rollerfor keeping the wrapper leaf tight, when the latter is drawn into therolling mechanism, are also used in combination with a rolling mechanismadapted to be opened on its upper side. In that case the roller is usedexclusively for keeping the portion of the wrapper leaf to be last drawnin the rolling mechanism tight, consequently generally for keeping theflag of the wrapper leaf for covering the spherical or conical mouth-endof the bunch tight.

Ln accordance with the invention the roller is situated near the spot,where the portion of the wrapper leaf to be first fed into the rollingmechanism is located and it serves, when manufacturing cigars of theBolknak-type, to keep the flag for covering the thick spherical orconical fire-end portion of the bunch tight.

It is advantageous to define the part of the rolling space meant for thesaid spherical or conical end portion of the bunch by a smoothing block,which has a gap which extends only through a part of the circumferenceof the rolling space, and consists of parts adapted to be moved awayfrom one another during the opening of the rolling mechanism, and by apressing roller movably mounted on the rolling mechanism and adapted tobe inserted into or removed from said gap of the smoothing block. Saidpressing roller may have a conical shape.

The reciprocating movement of the rolling mechanism enables a simple andeasily adjustable and variable control of the guide members and thepressing roller. To that end bars extending in the direction of the pathof the rolling mechanism and having cam surfaces may be provided and theguide members and the pressing roller may be connected to control armswhich,'during'the movement of the rolling mechanism, run over said camsurfaces and are controlled thereby.

The leaf holder may be constructed as a hollow box connected, duringoperation, permanently to a suction con duit, the bottom of said boxbeing perforated and forming the leaf holding surface, and at a shortdistance above 'said bottom, conduits may open which are connected to acompressed airline through valves attached to the conveyor of the leafholder, said valves being brought within reach of a control member, whenthe leaf holder is brought into its position above the path of therolling mechanism. Said control member is so constructed as to open,during the rolling process, the valves one after the other.

In order to make sure, that the wrapper leaf, even when a large portionthereof has been drawn from the perforated holding surface of the leafholder by the rolling mechanism, remains well sucked against saidholding surface, a construction is recommended, in which the interior ofthe leaf holder is divided by a partition into two compartments lyingone above the other, of which the upper one is connected to the suctionconduit and in the lower compartment of which the compressed airconduits open, whereas the two compartments communicate with one anotherexclusively above the spot, where the portion of the wrapper to be lastwound round the bunch is carried.

A wrapping apparatus according to the invention has, relative to theknown wrapping apparatus, the advantage that it can be adapted atrelatively low costs and in a short time to the treatment of bunches forcigars having a different shape. To that end only the dies, the leafholders, the rolling mechanism with accessories, the stationary bars forguiding the guide members and the pressing roller and one single camdisc of the driving mechanism of the apparatus and adapted to guide theleaf holder during the rolling process have to be replaced bycorresponding parts of different shape. All these parts are mounted inwell accessible places of and connected by easily detachable means tothe wrapping apparatus, so that the apparatus can be quickly changed.Also the change of a wrapping apparatus for left-hand Wrapper leavesinto a wrapping apparatus for right-hand wrapper leaves and vice-versadoes not offer any difficulties. When using the known wrapping apparatusthere are required two individual machines for the operation withleft-hand and right-hand wrapper leaves.

The invention will further be elucidated with the aid of theaccompanying drawing. Therein is:

FIG. 1 a plan view of the essential part of a wrapping apparatusaccording to the invention for the manufacture of cigars of theBolknak-type,

FIG. 2 an elevational view of the part of said apparatus shown in FIG.1,

FIG. 3 on a larger scale the holding surface of the leaf holder of thewrapping apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in different positions duningthe rolling process, said holding surface being adapted to the shape ofthe wrapper leaf,

FIG. 4 on'a larger scale a plan view of the rolling mechanism, slightlymodified so as to close both ends of the bunch, with accessories of thewrapping apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and

FIG. 5 an end view of the rolling mechanism with accessories shown inFIG. 4.

In the drawing two dies are designated by 1 and 2, on which wrapperleaves of predetermined shape are cut from tobacco leaves by means ofupright knives 3 in the shape of said wrapper leaves and pressurerollers 4, which are reciprocated over the edge of said knives. Thecutout wrapper leaves are brought by means of two leaf "holders 5 into aposition above the path of a rolling mechanism mounted for reciprocationbetween two end positions and consisting of rollers 6 and smoothingblocks 4 7, '8. To that end each leaf holder 5 is connected for swingingabout a vertical shaft 9 to the free end of a conveyor having the shapeof an arm 11 mounted for swinging about a stationary vertical shaft 10.

Each leaf holder 5 is guided by two control members, of which one has aguiding rod extending between a point '12 of an arm 13 mounted on theshaft fi and an adjustable fixed point 14 of the stationary shaft 10,said guiding rod being composed of a rod 15 connected with the point 12and a tube 16 telescoping on the rod 15 and connected to the point 14,in which tube a compression spring 17 is provided which tends tokeep therod 15 pressed with its abutment 18 against the end surface 19 of thetube 16, The other control member consists of an arm 21 mounted onashaft 2i) and provided with a pushing plate 23 which is held in ahorizontal position by a rod 22 and is adapted to be pushed against aroller 24 mounted in the point 12 on the arm 13. In order to move thepushing plate 23 the shaft 20 is provided with an arm 25 connected by arod 26 to a lever 28 which is mounted for swinging about a shaft 27 andis kept pressed with its roller 36 by a spring 29 against a camdisc'32provided on a driven shaft 31 of the driving mechanism of the wrappingapparatus.

If a conveyor arm 11 has brought its leaf holder 5 into a position abovethe path of the rolling mechanism 6, 7, 8 it is locked by means of amember 34 mounted on a shaft '33 and provided with two rollers 35 whichare pushed against the two upright oblique surfaces of a triangularcam-member 36 provided at the end of the arm 11.

For moving the rollers 35 into and out of the locking position, theshaft 33 is provided with an arm 37 which is connected by a rod 38 to alever 40 mounted for swingin'g'about a shaft 39 and kept with a roller41 in cooperation with a second cam-disc 43 of'the driving shaft 31 by'a spring 42.

The rolling mechanism 6, 7, '8 with accessories is easily vdetachablymounted on a support-44 which is mounted 'for reciprocation between thetwo illustrated end positions on bars 45, 46 and is driven by a lever 47which is pressed with a roller '48 against a third cam-disc 49 of thedriving shaft '31.

In the starting position of the rolling mechanism shown in dotted linesthe two parts of said mechanism are moved from one another by means of astationary cam 50, in such a manner'that the rolling space defined bythe rollers 6 and the parts of the smoothing blocks 7, 8 is opened onthe upper side inorder to admit'a cigar bunch 51 into said space.

When the rollingmechanism is moved from the starting position to theleft it is automatically closed and it then comes within the reach ofthe leaf holder 5 which carries a wrapper and has in the meantime beenswung into a position above the path of the rolling mechanlsm.

Due to 'the'action of the guiding rod 15, 16 the leaf holder is swung asa result of the swinging movement of the conveyor arm 11 into theposition shown in FIG. 1,

said position corresponding with the position 1 shown in FIG. 3 of thewrapper leaf or the corresponding shape of the holding surface of theleaf holder. Assuming that FIG. 3 represents the wrapper leaf, this leafis provided with a leading-in flap 52, a fiag53 to cover the thickspherical or conical fire-end portion and a portion 54 having a flag 55for'covering the body and the thin spherical or conical mouth-endportion of the bunch, respec- 'tively.

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and V and thereafter it is returned by the spring 17 into the positionI. The positions of the rolling mechanism corresponding with thepositions I-V of the leaf holder are indicated in FIG. 3 by thepositions A, B, C, D and E of the bunch. After the rolling process thelocking rollers 35 are released and the conveyor arm 11 carrying theleaf holder 5 is swung back to the die 1 or 2 to take up a next wrapperleaf.

It is observed that during the transport of a wrapper leaf to the pathof the rolling mechanism said leaf is provided with glue in areas of theleading-in flap 52 and the flags 53 and 55 by a glueing device notshown.

For driving the rollers 6 said rollers are coupled through toothedwheels (not shown) with a shaft 57, FIGS. 1 and 4, which is rotatablysupported in the support 44 and provided with two sprocket wheels 58, 59

having each a freewheel of the type of conventional bicycle sprocketwheels, i.e., the sprocket wheel is provided with a clutch which enablesdrive in one direction and free rotation without drive in the oppositedirection. The sprocket wheel 58 is driven by an endless chain 6%) whichis passed over sprocket wheels 61, 62 and driven in the direction of thearrow 63, FIG. 1, whereby the speed of revolution of the rollers 6 isadapted to the rolling velocity of the bunch during the going stroke ofthe rolling mechanism. During the returning stroke of the rollingmechanism the freewheel of the sprocket wheel 58 is in operation and thesprocket wheel 59 is driven by a stationary chain 64. During the goingstroke of the rolling mechanism the hunch is provided with wrapper leafand during the returning stroke thereof the rollers of the rollingmechanism continue to rotate in the same direction at decreased speedand thereby the manufactured cigar is given an after-rolling treatment.After the rolling mechanism has been returned into the starting positionshown in dotted lines the manufactured cigar is removed by members (notshown) from the opened rolling mechanism and a next bunch is placedtherein.

From FIGS. 1 and 2 it appears that the leaf holder 5 has the shape of abox. This box is permanently connected with a suction conduit comprisingan opening 65, a passage 65 in the conveyor arm 11 and the hollow shaft1% The bottom 66 of the box is perforated and forms the holding surfaceof the leaf holder. At a short distance above said bottom three conduits56, 67 and 63 open into said box, said conduits being connected to apressure line 70 through flexible tubes and jointly operable valves 6%,b and c accommodated in a casing 69 mounted on the conveyor arm 11. Saidvalves are kept closed by a spring 71. If the conveyor arm 11 is in itsposition, in which the leaf holder 5 is above the rolling mechanism, theoperating member 72 of the valves is situated above a verticallyreciprocating control rod 73, which is moved by the driving mechanism ofthe wrapping apparatus and is adapted to open the valves one after theother. The compressed air conduits ss, 67 and 68 serve to blow theleading-in flap 52, the flag 53 and the flag 55 of the wrapper leaf atthe right moments from the holding surface 66 of the leaf holder. Toretain the suction force exerted on the wrapper leaf, even after a largeportion of the wrapper leaf has been fed into the rolling mechanism,thereby leaving the apertures of the holding surface 65 of the leafholder 5 open in a large area of said surface, the space within thebox-shaped leaf holder 5 is divided by a horizontal plate 74 into twocompartments, of which the upper one is directly connected to thesuction conduit and the lower one communicates with the upper oneexclusively by a relatively narrow aperture 75 which is located justabove the area of the holding surface of the leaf holder destined tocarry the flag 55 of the wrapper leaf which has to be fed last into therolling mechanism.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show that the rolling mechanism 6, 7, 8

illustrated only diagrammatically in FIGS. 1 and 2, cooperates with aguide plate 76 and a cylindric guide roller 77. The guide roller '77 andthe guide plate 76 form together a unity, such that the cylindriccircumference of the guide roller forms a curved continuation of theactive upper surface of the guide plate. The guide plate is connectedfor swinging about an axis 78 to the upper ends of arms an adapted to beswung about a shaft 79, which are controlled by an arm 31 mounted alsoon the shaft 79 and provided with a roller 82 and by a fixed control bar83 provided with a cam-surface, on which the roller 82 rolls during themovement of the rolling mechanism. A spring 84 tends to swing the guideplate 7s and the guide roller 77 upwards, but this is prevented by a cam85 attached to the plate 76 and engaging a two-armed lever 86 mountedfor swinging about the shaft 79. Said lever is provided with a roller 88mounted for rolling over a second fixed control bar 87 provided with acam-surface.

The smoothing block 7 has a gap that extends only through a part of thecircumference of the portion of the rolling space for the fire-endportion of the bunch, and it cooperates with a conical pressing roller89 adapted to be inserted into and removed from said gap and serving topress and to smooth out the flag 53 of the wrapper leaf which is woundround the fire-end portion of the bunch. The pressing roller 89 isadjustably connected to a swingable lever 96 controlled by a two-armedlever 92 mounted for swinging about a shaft 91. One arm of the lever 92is provided with a roller 93 which is rolled over a third fixed controlbar 94, provided with a camsurface, when the rolling mechanism is moved.

The cam surfaces of the control bars 83, 87 and 94 are so formed as tocontrol the guide plate 76, the guide roller '77 and the pressing roller89 during the goingstroke of the rolling mechanism as follows:

In the starting position of the rolling mechanism (see the positionshown in dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 2) the guide plate 76 and the guideroller 77 are swung by the arms 80 to the left and the pressing roller39 is swung by the levers $2 and hi) to the right out of reach of theopening of the opened rolling mechanism, so that the manufactured cigarcan be removed therefrom and a next bunch can be placed therein. Duringthe movement of the rolling mechanism from the starting position to theposition B shown in FIG. 3 the guide plate 76, the guide roller "7'7 andthe pressing roller 89 remain in their olfswung positions. When theposition B is passed the leading-in flap 52 of the wrapper leaf is blowninto the rolling mechanism by the compressed air conduit 56. A littlebit later only the guide plate 76 and the guide roller 77 are returnedto a position above and a position beside the rolling space,respectively, as indicated in FIG. 5 and they are thereafter swungupwards by the cooperation of the spring 84 and the lever 86 controlledby the control bar 87, whereby a toothed wheel 95 of the guide roller 77is brought into engagement with a toothed rack 96 attached to the leafholder 5, so that said roller is driven during the further movement ofthe rolling mechanism. In the meantime the rolling mechanism has reacheda position between the positions B and C shown in FIG. 3 and the flag 53of the wrapper leaf is blown by the compressed air-conduit 67 onto thedriven guide roller 77, on which said flag sticks by glue broughtthereon previously. At the same time the pressing roller 89 is movedinto its operative position, to press against the fire-end portion ofthe bunch lying in the rolling space and the flag 53 of the wrapper leafis drawn from the guideroller 77 over a rounded area of the smoothingblock 7 into the rolling mechanism and is smoothed out by the pressingroller 89 and tightly wound around the fireend portion of the bunch. Inthe meantime the leaf holder 5 is swung into the position 111 (FIG. 3),so that the portion 54 of the wrapper leaf is wound helically round thebody of the bunch. To wind the flag 55 of the wrapper leaf round themouth-end portion, the leafholder is swung back to the positions IV andV and the Z a flag 55 which is also provided with glue is blown at theright moment by the compressed air conduit 68 onto the guide plate 76and is wound with some stress due to the sticking force of the glueround the mouth-end portion of the bunch. During the returning stroke,the guide plate 76, the guide roller 77 and the pressing roller 89 arekept in the positions shown in FIGS. 4 and by not-shown locking membersand the manufactured cigar is exposed to an after-rolling treatment, sothat the wrapper leaf comes to lie in a tight manner and without creaseson the bunch.

Owing to the relatively simple and quiet movements of the rollingmechanism and the leaf holder the present wrapping apparatus can bedriven with great speed. The capacity of the wrapping apparatus is onlylimited by the speed with which the tobacco leaves to be cut out can bemanually laid onto the dies 1 and 2.

If cigars of different shape have to be manufactured with the wrappingapparatus only the dies 1 and 2, the leaf holders 5, the rollingmechanism 6, 7, 8 and the guide plate 76, the guide roller 77, thepressing roller 89 and the control members thereof forming a unitytherewith, the fixed control bars 83, 87 and 94 and the camdisc 32 tocontrol the pushing plate 23 have to be replaced by corresponding partsof different shape. Since all these parts are easily detachablyconnected to the relevant parts of the wrapping apparatus, the work ofchanging the apparatus to adapt it to wrapping up bunches of differentshape can be performed in a short time and at relatively low costs. Itis also possible to manufacture cigars having left hand wrappers andcigars having right hand wrappers in one and the same wrapping apparatusconstructed in accordance with the invention.

The wrapping apparatus as thus far described is meant for wrapping up abunch for a cigar of the Bolknak-type, of which the mouth-end is taperedbut not closed. For cigars having two closed ends, a wrapper led havingan additional mouth-end flag, not shown in FIG. 3, must be used. In thatcase the dies 1, 2 and the leaf holders 5 must be adapted to this shapeof the wrapper leaf. Also a guiding roller 77a and a conical pressingroller 89a have to be provided at the mouth-end of the rolling space asshown in FIG. 4. This second pressing roller 89a may be controlledtogether with the pressing roller 89 by the control bar 94. The shaft 91extends through the entire set of rolling mechanism and guide members.Ann 9201 is attached to shaft 91 and it operates the arm 90a and thepressing roller 39:; in just the same way as the first pressing roller89 is operated by arm 92. The two pressing rollers 8? and 89a arebrought into operation simultaneously, that means shortly after theentire wrapper leaf has been fed to the rolling mechanism. The toothedwheel 95a conforms in function and mode of operation to wheel 95.Moreover the guide plate 76 must be adapted to its cooperation with twoguide rollers 77 and 77a.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for applying in one cycle of operation .a wrapper leafof predetermined shape and having a leading in flap on a cigar bunchhaving at least one spherical or conical end portion from the transitionzone between said end portion and the body of the bunch both towards theend of said end portion and towards'theother end of the bunch,comprising a rolling mechanism, a set of rotatable upper and lowerrollers enclosing a rolling space and constituting together the rollingmechanism, a movable support for carrying said rolling mechanism,

means to move said support in a direction transverse to the axis of itsrolling space, a die for cutting wrapper leaves of the required shape, amovable leaf holder, a

conveyor carrying said leaf holder and constructed to move the leafholder between said die and a position above the path of the rollingmechanism, a movable guide plate, a movable guide roller, said guideplate and said guide roller forming an aligned composite guide membercarried by the support of the rolling mechanism, said guide roller beingmounted in the axial direction of the rolling space just beyond the partof said space meant to receive the said spherical end portion of thebunch, said guide plate extending parallel to the axis of the rollingspace and being mounted just above one of the upper rollers of therolling mechanism, and delivering means on said leaf holder constructedand arranged to successively deliver the wrapper leaf leading in flap,the portion to cover the said spherical end'portion of the bunch and theportion to cover the body and the other end portion of the bunch intothe rolling mechanism, and onto said guide roller and guide platerespectively when the leaf holder has brought the leaf into a positionabove and in a plane parallel to the path of the rolling mechanism.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which means are providedmovably connecting the guide plate and the guide roller to the supportof the rolling mechanism, said means comprising two stationary barsextending parallel to the path of the rolling mechanism, cam surfacesformed by said bars and control arms mounted for swinging on the saidsupport and operatively connected with said guide plate and said guideroller, said control arms being mounted for running over said camsurfaces and being controlled by said surfaces during the movement ofthe rolling mechanism.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said leaf holdercomprises a hollow box, a suction conduit, said box being, duringoperation, permanently connected to said suction conduit, the bottom ofsaid box being perforated and forming the leaf holding surface of theleaf holder, and said delivering means comprising a compressed air line,a valve system attached to the conveyor of the leaf holder, conduitsentering the hollow leaf holder and opening a short distance above thebottom thereof, said latter conduitsbeing connected to said compressedair line through said valve system and a control member adapted tooperate said valve system when the leaf holder is in its position abovethe path of the rolling mechanism.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, comprising in addition apartition provided in the interior of said box shaped leaf holder anddividing said box into two compartments lying one above the other, thesuction conduit being connected to the upper one of said compartments,the conduits connected through the valve system to the compressed airline opening into the lower compartment and the two compartmentscommunicating with one another exclusively above the area of the holdingsurface of the leaf holder which last releases and delivers a leafportion to said guide plate of the rolling mechanism.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 340,741 4/86Tanner 13156 X 654,199 7/00 Tyberg 13136 X 654,202 7/00 Tyberg 131-33 X1,077,903 11/13 Burchardi et al. 13136 1,565,939 12/25 Herrington 131-56X 1,993,661 3/35 Granstedt 131-105 2,006,113 6/35 Rober 131-56 2,009,4927/ 35 Granstedt 131-56 X 2,226,224 12/40 Giles et al 131-33 2,267,64812/41 Grandstedt et al 13136 2,601,856 7/52 Giles 131-33 SAMUEL KOREN,Primary Examiner.

1. AN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING IN ONE CYCLE OF OPERATION A WRAPPER LEAF OFPREDETERMINED SHAPE AND HAVING A LEADING IN FLAP ON A CIGAR BUNCH HAVINGAT LEAST ONE SPHERICAL OR CONICAL END PORTION FROM THE TRANSITION ZONEBETWEEN SAID END PORTION AND THE BODY OF THE BUNCH BOTH TOWARDS THE ENDOF SAID END PORTION AND TOWARDS THE OTHER AND OF THE BUNCH, COMPRISING AROLLING MECHANISM, A SET OF ROTATABLE UPPER AND LOWER ROLLERS ENCLOSINGA ROLLING SPACE AND CONSTITUTING TOGETHER THE ROLLING MECHANISM, AMOVABLE SUPPORT FOR CARRYING SAID ROLLING MECHANISM, MEANS TO MOVE SAIDSUPPORT IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE AXIS OF ITS ROLLING SPACE, ADIE FOR CUTTING WRAPPER LEAVES OF THE REQUIRED SHAPE, A MOVABLE LEAFHOLDER, A CONVEYOR CARRYING SAID LEAF HOLDER AND CONSTRUCTED TO MOVE THELEAF HOLDER BETWEEN SAID DIE AND A POSITION ABOVE THE PATH OF THEROLLING MECHANISM, A MOVABLE GUIDE PLATE, A MOVABLE GUIDE ROLLER, SAIDGUIDE PLATE AND SAID GUIDE ROLLER FORMING AN ALIGNED COMPOSITE GUIDEMEMBER CARRIED BY THE SUPPORT OF THE ROLLING MECHANISM, SAID GUIDEROLLER BEING MOUNTED IN THE AXIAL DIRECTION OF THE ROLLING SPACE JUSTBEYOND THE PART OF SAID SPACE MEANT TO RECEIVE THE SAID SPHERICAL ENDPORTION OF THE BUNCH, SAID GUIDE PLATE EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OFTHE ROLLING SPACE AND BEING MOUNTED JUST ABOVE ONE OF THE ROLLINGROLLERS OF THE ROLLING MECHANISM, AND DELIVERING MEANS ON SAID LEAFHOLDER CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO SUCCESSIVELY DELIVER THE WRAPPER LEAFLEADING IN FLAP, THE PORTION TO COVER THE SAID SPHERICAL END PORTION OFTHE BUNCH AND THE PORTION TO COVER THE BODY AND THE OTHER END PORTION OFTHE BUNCH INTO THE ROLLING MECHANISM, AND ONTO SAID GUIDE ROLLER ANDGUIDE PLATE RESPECTIVELY WHEN THE LEAF HOLDER HAS BROUGHT THE LEAF INTOA POSITION ABOVE AND IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THE PATH OF THE ROLLINGMECHANISM.